Independent report
Responsible Dog Ownership report
An independent review into measures to improve responsible dog ownership and reduce dog attacks.
Documents
Details
This independent review, produced by the Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) taskforce, was commissioned by Defra to identify measures to reduce dog attacks and improve responsible dog ownership across all dog breeds.
The taskforce includes representatives from veterinary bodies, animal welfare organisations, local authorities and the police. Defra provided the secretariat for the taskforce, whose remit covers England and Wales.
The taskforce has focused on 4 key areas within this report:
- improving public education on staying safe around dogs
- training for dogs and their owners
- enforcement of existing legislation
- improving data collection and management relating to dog attacks
Updates to this page
Published 24 September 2026